Army Green Beret restarts MMA career with Strikeforce

As a special forces soldier in the U.S. Army, Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy has survived IED blasts, 30-hour gunfights and missions behind enemy lines so classified that he'll never be able to discuss them. He also survived time away from his wife, two daughters and his professional sports aspirations.

And like every good soldier, Kennedy did it without hesitation.

"It's surreal to be with those guys the first time out," he said of his time spent with elite combat squads. "Gunfire goes off, and everyone runs towards it. I guess that's a character trait that sounds flawed, but it's reassuring to find there are others like you."